Camera Help!

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Apr 27, 2009
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422
Location
Forney, Texas
I just went out and bought a new SD card to take pictures for penefit.org and my camera is giving me an error code "CHA" and will not take the picture. Is it a bad SD card or something wrong with my camera. I have a Nikon DSLR.

Thanks,
Dan
 
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Dan, some cameras can be finicky about the cards they will except. Some will even except the card one time and not the next. I would assume that Nikon has a list of "approved" manufacturers. If your using one not on the list I would suggest that as a starting point. Maybe someone has another card you can borrow to see if that is it? Good Luck.
 
Common issue with Nikons. As stated above. Format the card. This should fix it. If not, return and try a different brand


Did some reading on dpreview boards. This is indeed common... might be the card, might be just a 'not quite perfect' contact between the card and camera.

Most resolutions say to turn off camera, remove and replace card and reformat if you can. Some others talk about cleaning the contacts with electrical contact cleaner.
 
I realize that patience is a virtue but I have now been back to Walmart (granted it is Christmas time) to exchange the SD card get back and now the new one will not work. I just took pictures with this camera last week and now when I need to take some pictures quick the gooofy thing will not work.
 
Ouch... Dan, do you have a pc that you can bring close to the camera? Cause a short-term fix to this may be to install the nikon software that lets you take pictures straight to the computer via USB? I've done this with my Canon SLR at times (for a different reason) so maybe this will work until you can hunt the issue?
 
Well...I ran out of the house and forgot it. I thought that I would take a bunch of pictures over lunch at my office while there were no kids, phones or wife to distract me. So I thought I would just go to Walmart get a new card that would only be used for this project.
 
What type of SD card does your Nikon take. There are more than one type of SD card and the newer ones are not necessarly backwards compatable. Check your owners manual for the necesary type for your camera.
Charles
 
I've got a D80 that I've used all SORTS of cards in, but 50% of the time new cards or cards that I format in my computer will give me that error. As said above, a quick format in the camera should do it.
 
Any chance you bought one of the newer and/or larger "SDHC" cards (iirc, they are the ones that are larger than 2GB) Not sure if the SD cards under 2GB are made in both standard SD and SDHC or not, but the SDHC cards are physically identical to the SD cards, and there is really nothing from a geek perspective that makes them different, but they have a "flag" that identifies them as the SDHC variety and the standard SD interface of card readers and cameras (those not equipped for use of SDHC cards) will not recognize them. There is a software update for WindowsXP that will get a standard SD reader to recognize the SDHC cards, but I am not aware of any manufacturers who have patched cameras with older readers, or if it is even possible.
 
I had this happen with my Nikon D90 DSLR, removed the card and put it back in the camera with slightly more force to make sure it was seated properly, worked for me!
 
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